Where are they now: Brenda McWilson-Okorogba
Brenda Okorogba is a multifaceted professional with expertise in training and development, community building, nonprofit management, grantsmanship, service and learning experience design, college and career success coaching, and positive psychology. She is a dedicated and passionate advocate for equitable education, economic dignity, gender equity and social inclusion, community wellness, and collective prosperity. As the Founder of Momentswithbren Consulting, a Canadian boutique professional training and coaching firm. She is committed to promoting holistic development, educational equity, collective prosperity and an emotionally agile community. Brenda's career has been focused on creating and delivering effective learning experiences for diverse audiences. Brenda is committed to improving quality of life by promoting access to inclusive education and job opportunities which can equip people with the tools required to develop innovative solutions to the world’s greatest problems.
Throughout her career, Brenda has held various positions that have allowed her to utilize her skills and knowledge to make a positive impact in the community. In 2018, she was selected as one of the Young Women's Leadership Delegates by YWCA Canada to meet with elected Canadian government officials and request changes in policy. She and other representatives lobbied for $75 million in core funding to improve the lives of women and girls through education and training programs. That same day, Status of Women Minister Maryam Monsef announced YWCA Canada would receive $1.25 million to support its employment and training programs. Brenda served as a Program Planner on the Leadership Summit Animation Team (LSAT) for the 2020 Think Big! LeadNow! Young Women's National Leadership Program. Her efforts helped create awareness on the ongoing needs of women during COVID-19, leading to a fundraising goal of $13K for the YWCA Canada in 2020.
As a Learning Experience Designer, Brenda has designed and facilitated workshops on a wide range of topics for clients globally, and has helped clients raise over $40 million in grants and other financial aid. Brenda takes a client-centered approach to her work and incorporates various methodologies, such as project-based learning and behavior modeling, to maximize outcomes. Brenda has received many awards and recognitions for her work, including the Manitoba150 Honours Award, the 2019 Top 25 RBC Canadian Immigrant Award, and the 2022 100 Accomplished Black Canadian Women Honours Award. She has trained over 16,000 professionals and students from 30+ countries across 5 continents on career and personal development, and helped secure $80.4million in scholarships and tuition fee waivers. Students, professionals, recent graduates and community members reported that they achieved academic and career success rate by 98%, launched profitable businesses, and transitioned into new careers in the past 5 years. Brenda continues to fuel her passion for promoting inclusive education, job opportunities, economic dignity, collective prosperity, gender equity and social inclusion, and optimal wellness to improve quality of life for everyone.
